10 X-Men Characters Who Deserve MCU Solo Projects

With the X-Men coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans are wondering just how things are going shake out. Mutants have already started popping up in the MCU, and it’s only a matter of time before the X-Men show up. However, the best thing about the X-Men is that the mutant side of the Marvel Universe is vast and chockful of stars. Marvel Studios can go in so many different directions with the X-Men and their characters, including building up the team with solo projects, a la Phase One of the MCU. In fact, there are ten X-Men characters, some heroes and some villains, who could easily star in solo projects, setting up the X-Men for major places in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Wolverine

Wolverine is the most popular member of the X-Men — in fact, an argument can be made that Wolverine is Marvel’s most popular character not named Spider-Man. Though already the focus in several solo movies, with longtime Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman becoming the longest tenured superhero actor in history, the MCU making a Wolverine solo project is definitely going to happen at some point, and it’s probably the most important one of them all.

The reason for that is simple – at some point, Marvel Studios is going to have to move on from Hugh Jackman and develop their own Wolverine. Jackman is a big star and commands a high salary, so Marvel Studios isn’t going to want him to keep him around as the mainline Wolverine. Marvel Studios is known for wanting to create their own stories and they’re going to want their own Wolverine. There’s a lot of Wolverine history that Marvel Studios needs to outline, so a Wolverine origin series or movie seems like a great idea at some point.

Magneto

Magneto is one of the most important parts of the X-Men mythos and the MCU is going to have to make some tough choices with the character. The biggest problem with Magneto is if they keep his original Holocaust origin story, Magneto is going to be a very old mutant – closer to a hundred than fifty. This means that they’re going to have explain a lot about Magneto and the best way to do that would easily be a series or a movie.

An MCU Magneto project can lay out his origin, and what it is in the MCU. Are they going to go with the Holocaust? Maybe put him in a time closer to the present day? Maybe this project could explain why Magneto lived through the Holocaust and was still vital. Marvel fans love Magneto — he was previously played by Sir Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbender in performances that helped redefine the character — so it would definitely be popular. More time spent with Magneto is better than less time.

Apocalypse

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Apocalypse is one of the oldest mutants on Earth, having been born millennia ago in Ancient Egypt. It’s this time period that is ripe for an Apocalypse solo project. In the mid ’90s, fans got The Rise of Apocalypse, a story that gave the Egyptian origin of the mutant. This would make for an excellent MCU series, an amazing period piece that pits Apocalypse against the powerful Rama-Tut.

Now, there is a problem here — Rama-Tut was Kang and Kang is persona non grata because of Jonathan Major. However, that doesn’t mean that Apocalypse’s story can’t still be told. Marvel Studios could easily create a whole new character to act as Rama-Tut, replacing him as they’ve done in other adaptations. Of course, an Apocalypse show can also be set at another point in the character’s timeline. There are thousands of years of history under Apocalypse’s belt; Marvel Studios can do anything they want with an Apocalypse solo project.

Cable

Cable made his big screen in Deadpool 2, played by Josh Brolin. Since then the actor has spoken publicly about wanting to return to the character, and Marvel Studios would be smart to give him his own solo project. Cable has a lot of potential as a solo star — he’s one of the only X-Men besides Wolverine who has had long running solo comics — and Marvel Studios can definitely make a lot of money with a Brolin starring project. However, there are other ways to go if Marvel doesn’t want to pay Brolin, and they actually overlap with the last entry.

Cable’s story took him to the far future as a baby, as revealed in X-Men ’97. That future was under the control of Apocalypse, so a solo Cable project could tell the tale of Cable in the future, learning to be a warrior while battling the forces of Apocalypse. Or there could be a Cable story set back in his pre-superhero mercenary days in the present. That’s the great thing about Cable – there are so many story options for the character for his own stories.

Professor X

If Magneto can carry his own origin movie, Professor X could easily do the same (and technically X-Men: First Class was partly the origin of Charles Xavier). Played by Sin Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy, Xavier is the most important part of the X-Men’s history in a lot of ways. His dream and leadership define the team’s mission and while fans know a lot about his past, there’s still a lot of stories that could be told about Professor X before he became the founder of the X-Men.

In the comics, Xavier fought in the Korean War, hung out with Magneto in Israel, fathered a child, met Moira MacTaggert, traveled the world, and broke his back in battle with the alien called Lucifer. There are a lot of questions that need to answered about Xavier in the MCU, much like Magneto, and the best way to give those questions the best answers is to give them the breathing room of solo projects. Laying out Xavier’s life and how it affects him would be a near perfect prequel for any major MCU X-Men project.

Sunfire

Sunfire is a lower level X-Man, with the Japanese mutant only appearing for short stints with the X-Men. However, Sunfire is actually a very important mutant in his home country of Japan, acting as the nation’s greatest defender. Sunfire battles kaiju and other powerful threats to the Japanese islands, and is honored and beloved by the citizenry. This has always made Sunfire quite arrogant, which is one of the biggest problems when he joins the X-Men — at home he’s basically every popular American superhero rolled into one.

A Sunfire solo project can take advantage of the popularity of manga and Japanese media to create a unique MCU experience. Sunfire is powerful and has a chip on his shoulder, and there a many different directions to take a character like him before the X-Men. Sunfire rarely gets a chance to grow in the comics, but the MCU could change all of that, using solo projects to take him down a road to heroism.

Exodus

The X-Men have a plethora of characters whose histories stretch into the distant past. This opens all kinds of period dramas from Marvel Studios and one of the more entertaining options is Exodus, an Omega-level telekinetic from the Middle Ages who fought in the Crusades alongside Black Knight. Exodus was found by Apocalypse and experimented on before being put in hibernation. He eventually woke up in the modern day, joined Magneto, and became an enemy and eventual ally of the X-Men.

An Exodus series is yet another X-Men solo project that could involve Apocalypse — that guy gets around — while taking fans to an entirely new setting for Marvel Studios. A descendant of Black Knight has already been introduced in Eternals, played by Kit Harrington, and Marvel Studios could bring the character back for an Exodus series. A Marvel series set in the Crusades feels like it could be awesome, and Exodus can make that happen.

Bishop

Bishop came from an alternate future where he was a member of the X.S.E., a mutant police force based on Xavier’s teachings. He went back in time to hunt a fugitive and joined the X-Men, and his ability to absorb energy and redirect it made him a powerful mutant. He was also a highly trained mutant soldier, and a very skilled detective. Bishop has it all and a Bishop solo series could be a lot of fun.

A Bishop series could be set in his future, showing his training, and taking cases in the X.S.E. has tons of potential. Furthermore, it could be a mutant procedural set in the future is something very unique and only possible from a franchise like the X-Men. If they don’t want to go in that direction, it could also be set in the present, and establish Bishop’s Mutant Town status quo — when Bishop worked as a detective in a NYC mutant neighborhood. Bishop has way more potential than anyone could imagine.

Storm

Ororo Munroe joined the X-Men after years of being worshiped as a goddess on the African veldt and rose through the ranks of the team. Eventually she defeated Cyclops (while she didn’t have any powers) and took over as leader of the X-Men, a tenure that is many fans’ favorite. Not only is Storm one of the most powerful beings on Earth, but she’s also worthy of holding Thor’s hammer. She’s also one of only three heroes to have been a member of the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers.

Storm is one of the greatest mutants ever, and she should have her own solo projects. An origin project would be great, showing her as a thief on the streets of Cairo and having to deal with the powerful mutant known as the Shadow King. If it’s a series and not just a movie, it can show her growing into the goddess and defending the tribe she joins after leaving. Of course, any kind of Storm solo projects, set in her past or the present, would be appreciated by fans. Storm’s deserved her chance at solo stardom for years.

Cyclops

Cyclops is the consummate X-Man, not to mention a hero who has proven himself to be on par with Captain America. He’s amazing in battle, both as a tactician and as combatant, able to fight as well with his hands as he does with his optic blasts. For years, Cyclops got something of a bad rep; everyone liked Wolverine and not him because Wolverine was the “cool” one. However, X-Men ’97 showed mainstream Marvel fans just how great Cyclops can be and it’s about time he gets his own solo project.

Cyclops lost his parents at a young age and grew up in an orphanage run by the evil Mister Sinister. A solo project starring a young teen Cyclops with Sinister trying to experiment on him could be a cool horror-adjacent project. However, Cyclops is also good enough to have his own solo movie or show later as well, one that allows us to spend more time with the character.